Does the region want massive public transport improvements if the price is a congestion charge of up to £5 a day at current prices?
Make no mistake: if the 10 councils of Greater Manchester agree in a vote later this year, both things WILL happen.
But before then, there will be plenty of debate.
The start date for 12 weeks of public consultation will be announced next week, after the government formally makes its offer on Monday. What form the consultation will take remains unclear, but a Greater Manchester-wide referendum has been ruled out.
Details
Crucially, details of both the charge scheme and the proposed improvements - kept private while the region waited to hear if it would get the cash - will now be revealed.
The MEN understands some significant changes to the original plans have been made, including the scrapping of separate, smaller charge zones around the satellite towns.
The essentials - two zones around the city centre policed by a tag-and-beacon system, remain in place. Drivers will pay for tags which will be electronically scanned at gates where the two zones start. Charges will only apply at peak times to drivers travelling `with' rush-hour traffic.
Next week's announcement will end speculation that the government was backtracking on its support for local congestion charging schemes.
Bid
Ministers made it clear that the pot from which Greater Manchester's money will come - the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) - was only available to towns and cities prepared to introduce such charges. Greater Manchester was the first to lodge a bid and expected a decision by December 2007.
But delays and the fact only Cambridgeshire lodged a rival bid led many commentators to believe the fund might be scrapped or changed.
The waiting has also caused deep divisions among Greater Manchester councils. Tory-run Trafford and Bury have pledged to vote `no', as has Lib Dem-led Stockport. Bolton will hold a local referendum. Labour-run Manchester, Salford, Wigan, Tameside, Oldham - plus Rochdale, held by the Lib Dems - are still in favour.
But that won't be enough. Under current voting rules, seven out of the 10 councils must say `yes' if congestion charging, and the £3bn, is to become a reality.
What do you think? Have your say.
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Technobabble, Manchester (07/06/2008 at 11:48)
"What form the consultation will take remains unclear, but a Greater Manchester-wide referendum has been ruled out." Quelle surprise! Of course they never wanted to give you a REAL say in the matter, just the illusion of one. Can’t have a repeat of the Edinburgh referendum, can we.
"Drivers will pay for tags which will be electronically scanned at gates where the two zones start." So even if you only MIGHT travel across these zones during rush hour on the odd occasion, you will still be forced to pay for an electronic tag in your car for tracking purposes. What about someone travelling into Manchester for the first time, perhaps for a business meeting? Are they supposed to buy a tag in advance like some kind of soviet travel visa?
"Under current voting rules, seven out of the 10 councils must say 'yes' if congestion charging, and the £3bn, is to become a reality." Would these "current" voting rules be the ones created AFTER the bid was started and it became clear that the old voting rules wouldn’t allow the Labour councils to force it through?? If at first you don’t succeed, move the goalposts.